1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a fastener, which is a one-piece molding formed of plastic material to be secured within a mounting hole defined within a support panel for mounting an elongated object upon the support panel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Wires, pipes and other elongated objects (hereinafter generally referred to as elongated objects) mounted within a vehicle interior, for instance, should have their intermediate portions held and secured.
The elongated object fastener of this type should not only be readily secured or locked at a fixed location while holding an elongated object but should also be capable of being removed from the locked place for such purposes as repair and inspection.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,334,659 discloses a fastener which has operable portions projecting from the opposite sides thereof. FIGS. 9 and 10 shows this fastener. The fastener illustrated has a holder portion 1. To fasten an elongated object 2, the object 2 is surrounded by means of the holder portion 1 and then opposite side leg portions 5a and 5b are inserted in a state of close contact with each other into a mounting hole 3' defined within a mounting plate 3 by pushing the fastener in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 9. In this way, the fastener is secured within the support plate 3 as shown in FIG. 10. More specifically, in this state the mounting plate 3 is clamped between locking portions 6a and 6b projecting outwardly from the opposite side leg portions 5a and 5b and mating lower edges 4a and 4b of the holder portion 1. That is, the locking portions 6a and 6b engage the inner peripheral edge of the mounting hole 3' so that the fastener is secured within the plate or panel 3. The fastener has operable portions 9a and 9b extending in an upwardly inclined direction from the top of the locking portions 6a and 6b.
In the above state of the fastener secured within the mounting hole 3', by pushing the opposite sides of the operable portions 9a and 9b with one's fingers in the directions of the arrows shown in FIG. 10, the locking portions 6a and 6b are displaced inwardly. In this state, the fastener can be withdrawn upwardly from the mounting hole 3'.
With the prior art fastener as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, however, large forces tend to be exerted upon the fastener in the longitudinal direction of the elongated object, which is held by the fastener, when the object undergoes severe vibrations caused by means of vibration of the vehicle during vibration. In such case, a positional deviation or rattling of the fastener is liable to result because the fastener is only secured within the mounting plate or panel 3 as a result of the opposite side locking portions 6a and 6b being disposed within the same or common transverse plane relative to the edge of the mounting hole 3'.
Furthermore, with this fastener the portion of the mounting plate 3 surrounding the mounting hole is clamped between the top of the locking portions 6a and 6b and the lower edges 4a and 4b of the holder portion 1. Therefore, the mounting plate 3 is required to have a specific thickness. If the thickness is excessive, the fastener cannot be locked. If the thickness is insufficient, the fastener cannot be locked sufficiently stably, and rattling will occur.